Everyone deserves a nutritious meal. That’s the premise of Bizzy Bea’s, an organization developed by adults and youth alike to help feed people who are homeless in the city.
Chantelle Dupuis founded Bizzy Bea’s after her grandmother, who was a “helping hand,” and is now partnering with schools to shore up more support.
She said the whole endeavour started with a social media post.
“A lady on social media posted that she had received leftovers from Froogles grocery store in Hanmer and did not want it to go to waste,” Dupuis said. “I picked up the food and offered it up to help those in need and quickly saw all the red tape associated with just handing out meals. I wanted to make a difference like my grandmother Bea would want to do.”
Soon after, she delivered 25 meals to people in need in the city. Even after working 40 hours a week, Dupuis and a team of volunteers make meals and still aims to deliver a few meals per month for her routine visits with clients.
Outreach is also part of what she does. Two weeks ago, teachers at Alliance St. Joseph in Chelmsford organized a donation drive and invited the organization to come in and make meal packages that will be distributed to those living on the streets.
Jeremy Brule, 13, donated mango apple sauces and granola bars for the project.
“We have been reading a book with our teacher about a boy and his mom who have no fixed address,” Jeremy said. “They live in their van and to help us learn about the needs in our community, our teacher invited Bizzzy Bea’s in.
“The whole school got involved in the project by donating items from a request list. Our class separated all the donations and packaged everything for pick up. We even prepared a fruit salad wearing gloves and hair nets,” he said.
Jeremy said the work helped reinforce how expensive it is to live nowadays. Rose DiCarlo, a Grade 7 Marymount Academy student, has been volunteering regularly for the past two years after her mom learned about Bizzzy Bea’s on social media.
DiCarlo prepped snack bags in the beginning, but with maturity and experience, she has moved onto helping chop ingredients for salads and other dishes.
They meet at Duplicators, a business in the downtown that has offered the use of its certified kitchen space to the cause. The kitchen did require some upgrading, something the volunteers also rallied to complete.
“We listen to music, cook and hang out,” Rose said. “Sometimes my sister comes with my mom and I. It’s our way of giving back to the community.”
She added that when the time comes, she will complete all her high school volunteer hours at Bizzzy Bea’s and hopes to bring a few friends along.
That’s good news for Dupuis, who said the need has been growing exponentially by the month.
“There is not enough out there,” she said. “Costs just keep going up. The first time I went out with my two daughters, we delivered 25 meals, snacks and water.”
She said meal preparation is now exceeding 150 meals per night thanks to generous donations from grocery stores like Smith’s Market.
Depending on what items are received, a menu is set for the week’s deliveries and meal preparation begins for items like spaghetti, Cobb and fruit salads and rice stir fry dishes.
Dupuis said Bizzzy’ Bea’s has made and delivered 50,000 meals since it started.
“I am following in grandma Bea’s footsteps and we are making a difference one meal at a time,” Dupuis said.
To learn more about Bizzzy Bea’s, visit the group’s Facebook page or by visiting the website at BizzzyBeas.ca.
Each year, Bizzzy Bea’s hosts a fundraising gala at the Natura Events Hall at Verdicchio Ristorante & Enoteca.
This year, the gala will be held on Oct. 19.
Money raised assists with rent and insurance costs as well as to replenish the stock of biodegradable bamboo fibre clamshell packages for meals as well as bamboo cutlery.
Anastasia Rioux is a writer in Greater Sudbury. Let’s Eat! is made possible by our Community Leaders Program.
